Global Warming Will Continue For 1000 Years
A draft of a new report by a panel of 2,500 UN scientists has (surprise surprise) some dismal predictions.
“Twenty-first century anthropogenic (human) carbon dioxide emissions will contribute to warming and sea level rise for more than a millennium, due to the timescales required for removal of this gas,” the sources quoted the report as saying.
Still, the report has good news by quoting six models with central projections of sea level rises this century of between 28 and 43 cm (11 and 16.9 inches) — compared to a far wider band of 9 to 88 cm (3.5 to 34.6 inches) in a 2001 report, they said.
Sea levels rose by 17 cm (6.7 inches) in the 20th century. . . . The draft projects temperatures will rise by 2 to 4.5 Celsius (3.6 to 8.1 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels with a “best estimate” of a 3C (5.4 F) rise, assuming carbon dioxide levels are stabilised at about 45 percent above current levels. . . . The European Union says any temperature rise above 2C will cause “dangerous” changes. . . . It notes that sea levels were probably 4 to 6 metres (13 to 19-1/2 feet) higher when temperatures were 3C higher than the present in a period between Ice Ages 125,000 years ago.
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Friday Stupid Animal Blogging, #2
(FSAB #1 is here.)
Music probably came around quite early in human evolution: we have no record of anyone “discovering” music, and it’s an integral part of of every human culture (right?). So, when did music show up? Can apes make music? Can they be taught to?
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Save the Polar Bears!
Make sure the Bush administration holds public hearings when deciding whether or not to make polar bears an endangered species. Getting the bears officially classified as endangered may be instrumental in the fight for our survival. Take action now.
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Leah Saulnier Makes Weird Art
I picked up a card a in a coffee shop the other day, and just look where it lead me.
Lots of strange, pretty paintings. Check her out.
Sickening
This is how soldiers are convinced to re-enlist. They are made to attend these sorts of meetings, even after deciding that they’re done with war. Basically, they’re told that they aren’t capable of anything else and that nothing else is possible or worthwhile.
And don’t forget about the rest of Occupation: Dreamland, the movie from which this clip was taken.
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Capitalism is a Disease
No, really. The practice and acceptance erodes mental health and happiness. So says Oliver James, whose book Affluenza-How to Be Successful and Stay Sane has just been published.
It is selfish capitalism which largely explains the greater prevalence among English-speaking nations. By this I mean a form of political economy that has four core characteristics: judging a business’s success almost exclusively by share price; privatisation of public utilities; minimal regulation of business, suppression of unions and very low taxation for the rich, resulting in massive economic inequality; the ideology that consumption and market forces can meet human needs of almost every kind. America is the apotheosis of selfish capitalism, Denmark of the unselfish variety.
Selfish capitalism causes mental illness by spawning materialism, or, as I put it, the affluenza virus – placing a high value on money, possessions, appearances (social and physical) and fame. English-speaking nations are more infected with the virus than mainland western European ones. Studies in many nations prove that people who strongly subscribe to virus values are at significantly greater risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and personality disorder.
Interesting.
Frilled Shark!
From Boing Boing, Japanese marine park official recently captured and filmed this bizarre creature:
The five-foot-long frilled shark died after a few hours in captivity. They live up to 1000 meters below the surface of the water and are rarely seen alive.
Bluebottles Invade Australia
“Armadas” of toxic blue jellyfish have been invading Australia’s east coast recently. A change in wind patterns is causing them to wash ashore; experts add that warmer weather has lead to an increased population.
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The State of the Union’s FACE
I just caught a few minutes of the State of the Union Address… Did anyone else notice the terrifiying glaring Condoleezza Rice was doing at the camera? Deathbot much?
Biodiversity Was Nice While It Lasted
There were once over 150 species of fish living in China’s second-largest river. Today, more than a third of the Yellow River’s inhabitants are extinct.
Thanks again, pollution and over-fishing.
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